The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1887-03-17
YE GENTLE sPRrrs

And, to his UnAllOyed delight,
The trailing afbotns discovers.
YE GENTLE sPRrNe
Hall, gentle spring!
Thus poets sing
When still are blowing April gales.
From stormy skies
The Spring replies.
And sl0ets and SHOWS a. well % halls.
HOW 70 MAKE A BED.
Ordinary sheets, blankets and cover
lids are too short and too narrow; they
do not admit of bed being well made.
A quarter Of yard all round, beyond
the edge of the mattrass, is necessary
for tucking in and for overlaying at the
top 50 that the shoulders may bscovered.
A worn but clean blanket should cover
the upper mattrass in winter and over
this the sheet should be spread smooth
" and adequately. The bolster with
its hemstitched linen cover. should be
laid few inches below the top of the
mattrass so as to better support the
when lying down. and give
a better pitch to the pillows as they
stand against the head Of the bedstead.
Blankets to be large enough must be Of
good quality; cheap blankets are always
unsatisfactory because inadequate both
in size and warmth. Care should
De taken that they aie not laid evenly
together upon the bed. but the upper
one lowered from the top Of the other
fully the depth Of the bordering.
This graduates The bulk and will
prevent undue weight about the
shoulders when the clothes are turned
over; it also allows of abundant margin
for ..tucking in" at the foot; a matter
of great importance, especially when a
bed is occupied by two person.
The foot" blanket is another i'm
portant item. II the luxury Of mar
row down coverlid can be afforded for
the feet so much the better: it is q COM
fort that once enjoyed will never after
be willingly dispensed with in cold
weather. 1t should not be too wide or
thick as feather bed as they are made
in Germany, but large enough to cover
the larger half Of the bed and extend
over few inches at the sides. The
coverlid laid smoothly over this, all the
clothes turned down twice at the top
and the whole worked smoothly into the
sides and end of the bedstcad, the pill
lows OILY need to be placed in their
proper position to render the bed
making complete.-Dessorest MagG-
zine.
TAKE CARE OF STOCK.
Domestic animals, especially growing
stock so not thrive without a copious
supply oflight. Fattening stock put on
plenty of weight in darkness, but this is
not thrift; it is cruelty and their flesh is
not fit for consumption. Cleanliness
may be observed, says the St. Louis
Republican, one, by keeping the stall
clean. and two by cleaning the animal.
themselves. Animals breath. asst were
through the pores of the skin, as wei
as by means of their lungs. Dirt stops
up these pores and throws greater bur.
dens upon the lungs promoting disease
and acting plejudicially to the product.
as food .Or hrman consumption. There
should be free and constant communi
cation between the air and the pores
which is prevented by dirt on the skin
and for this reason also the air in thu
stable should be pure. Rubbing and
grooming promotes this kind of health
fulness, and the cows uddcr should b,
wa.hed occasionally and rubbed with ,
woolen cloth till thoroughlr dry.
FOR HOUSE PLANTS.
Without good soil. no one can sue
ceed in growing house plants well
We have little faith in chip dirt TO
plants for best results; we have grea
faith in what gardeners call ..fbrou
loam' for the same purpose. Thos'
who lived in the country find it an eas,
matter to have good lot of this articl
on hand at all times. City plant grow
ers can procure the same of the florist
at small price per bushel. How t
get it up is told in a few words. Pro
cure sods to or three inches thick, fron
. rich pasture lot. or from the road
side, at some spot where the earth
good. Stack it up in some out-of-the
way place until wanted. Break thi
into pieces the size of acorns, and plant
will find in it all the elements reall
needed to their existence. Or if j
seems poor. add a little old fine manure
No need of rubbing such soil throug
q fine sieve before usiug.
TO PREVENT BED-sOREs.
When person is obliged to lie CO.
stantly in one position as is the cas-
with broken leg, the pressure comm
constantly on the same place bedsore
must be guarded against. The lowe
part of the back is most frequently Al
tackled. The nurse should pass he
hand under it at least twice day t
to see that the draw sheet is free fror
wrinkles and creases. Morning an
night she must bathe it with sma
sponge dipped in alcohol, or solutio
of tannic acid. and when it is dry rub
with corn starch or buckwheat flour
1t may seem impossible to her to &C
her hands underneath. but most bed
will yield q little to pressure and b
working roll of old linen under tn
back above the place to be bathed. sh
will obtain little space to work in
II in spite of precautions the back be
comes sore an air cushion with hol
in the middle must be used to preveu
the sore from comming in contact wit
any surface, or it cannot heal.-Elisd
beth Robinson Scovil IN Good House
eeping.
| DRAINING LAND.
Wet lands should be drained becaus
we cannot unlock the fertility of the SO
unless air takes the place of the watel
says Prof, Scott in the Agricultural Ga;
cite. We drain to let water into the sol